THE GREY PARROT. 207 



Sea 1 but it was in beautiful condition and they were 

 not without hope of subduing it in the course of time, 

 at least his wife was. 



"Do you really think she will be able to tame it?" 

 I asked, knowing the creature's idiosyncrasy so well. 



"Oh! yesl" he replied confidently, "if she don't, it 

 will be the first time she has ever failed 1" and 

 doubtless he knew. 



A year or so passed and we met again. "How 

 about the Parrot?" was one of my inquiries. 



It was a perfect success : as tame as a Dove, and as 

 for talking ! there never was such a bird. It could say 

 and do everything. 



This was gratifying intelligence, seeing that I had 

 recommended my friend to buy it, and it was encour- 

 aging, too, for people who owned unruly Parrots. So 

 I made some inquiries about the method adopted to 

 secure such a desirable end, but was met by generalities 

 "She has a way with her, you know," meaning his 

 wife, and I remained as wise as before. 



The secret, however, I imagine, may be summed up 

 in two words, namely, Patience and Perseverance. 



One moment; pray do not buy Grey Parrots, or 

 even a Grey Parrot, O gentle and kind-hearted Reader, 

 for such are almost certain to be already smitten with 

 a dire disease, and will almost certainly die. We used 

 to read of 80,000 of these birds passing through the 

 hands of the dealers in a single town, but how many 



